The long-awaited launch of the Hard Rock Sportsbook has finally happened in Florida on Monday, signaling the start of online sports betting in the Sunshine State. Although a huge milestone, the launch of Hard Rock Sportsbook is now just one of many exciting gambling news in the United States in 2021.
Game On
It took a while, but Florida residents can now start wagering via their mobile devices, thanks to no other than Hard Rock Sportsbook. The prominent betting provider went live in the state on Monday, two weeks earlier than initially planned.
“Game on, Florida,” read the announcement on the sportsbook’s page, inviting FLoria residents to start betting on their favorite sports.
Florida’s Seminole Tribe went live with online sports betting five days before a hearing in court, seeking an injunction. Intersesnitly, the tribe has the right to go live with sports betting as early as October 15 under a compact it negotiated last spring.
According to the Hard Rock Casino website, the mobile sports betting application is available to download for both iOS and Android devices for free on App Store and Google Play, with enticing bonuses. For example, any new account on Hard Rock Casino will get awarded a $100 risk-free bet to use on any sport.
A Step In The Right Direction
The launch of sports betting in the state is huge news not only for Florida but the U.S. betting industry as well. Florida is viewed as one of the nation’s most fertile states for digital wagering, so the recent news is a massive move towards the more significant cause of legalizing sports betting across the U.S.
A total of five pari-mutuel sites have joined with the Seminole tribe to bring sports betting to Florida, under the agreement (compact) Gov. Ron DeSantis signed with the tribe’s chairman, Marcellus Osceola Jr, in April.
The plan in the compact allows gamblers from Florida to place bets online, with the best run through the tribe’s computer servers. This essentially means that any bet made anywhere in Florida via a mobile app or any electronic device will be deemed to be exclusively conducted by the Seminole tribe.
This will, in turn, mean that the tribe is expected to pay billions of dollars to the state annually for offering sports betting, as well as craps and roulette at their casinos. Additionally, the tribe also need to enter an agreement to market sports betting with pari-mutuels, who will receive a 60% cut of profits.
As revealed by the Seminole tribe, their five partners in online sports wagering are: Palm Beach Kennel Club, Hialeah Park Casino, Ocala Gainesville Poker and Ocala Breeders’ Sales Co., Tampa Bay Downs, TGT Poker & Racebook in Tampa.
Lawsuits In the Wings
As revealed, a pair of pari-mutuels have filed lawsuits against the Seminole tribe, disputing the legality of the compact while claiming that such a set-up will inevitably damage their business.
One of the lawsuits was filed on October 19 in the U.S. District Court in Florida, while the other was filed in the U.S. District Court in Washington D.C., and is set for a hearing on Friday.
In the lawsuit, Bonita Springs Poker Room and Magic City Casino asked for a decision before November 15, which is the date that Plaintiffs contend that “Plaintiffs contend that the relevant provisions of the tribal-state compact at issue, in this case, are scheduled to be implemented,” according to the paperwork.
However, the Seminole tribe stated that they never set a specific date.
It remains to be seen what the implication of a two-week earlier launch is in terms of the lawsuit. However, it does not seem like the Seminoles have opened any sportsbooks at any of their properties.
More information about the lawsuit and the verdict should become available by the end of the month.